- Date
- August 1, 1983, 20:50 local (Aug 2, 1983, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Muskegon, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N29938North American AT-6D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830801036899A
- Case key
- 12007
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft collided with trees after performing an aerobatic maneuver at low altitude. Witnesses near the scene said the acft was flying low; most heard the engine running. Some said that at the top of a loop the engine sounded like it stopped. On the descent following the loop the acft made about 2 rolls to the right and leveled off. Then a crash washeard. A single witness saw the acft about 50 ft above the trees. He heard the engine roar and saw the acft bank about 45 degrees to the left then collided with the trees. He said the acft had 'good speed.' No evidence of failure or malfunction of the acft was found during the investigation. The back seat adult passenger said the acft performed well.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29938
- Reported as
- North American AT-6D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49-3215
- Airframe hours
- 8,136
- Engine
- P&W R1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- T. P. Balch & M. G. Quesnell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 25, 1983 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- 6D6 · Greenville, MI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 422 total · 84 in this make and model · 377 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.